1. Society: the basics CHAPTER Eleventh Edition Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Social Interaction In Everyday Life 4 This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: - Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; - Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; - Any rental, lease or lending of the program.

2. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Social Interaction In Everyday Life How do we create reality in our face-to- face interactions? Why do employers try to control their workers’ feelings on the job as well as their behavior? What makes something funny?

3. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis SOCIAL STRUCTURE: A GUIDE TO EVERYDAY LIVING Social interaction –The process by which people act and react in relation to others Status –A social position that a person holds –Generally refers to “prestige” Status set –All the statuses a person holds at a given time  Changes over life

4. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Ascribed and Achieved Status Ascribed status –A social position a person receives at birth or takes involuntarily later in life  Matters about which we have little choice Achieved status –A social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and effort –People’s ascribed statuses influence the statuses they achieve

5. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Ascribed and Achieved Status Make a list of 10 important statuses in your life Indicate whether one is ascribed or achieved Is this difficult to do? Explain your answer.

6. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Master Status A status that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life –Can you give examples of how a master status can be both positive and negative? –Gender is a master status because all societies limit opportunities for women –Physical disability can serve as a master status

7. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Role Behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status –A person holds a status and performs a role –Varies by culture –In every society, actual role performance varies according to a person’s unique personality –Some societies permit more individual expression than others

8. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Role Role Set –A number of roles attached to a single status  Differs by society  Might or might not be important to social identity

9. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Image Bank

10. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Role Conflict and Role Strain Role Conflict –Conflict among the roles connected to two or more statuses Role Strain –Tension among the roles connected to a single status How can a person minimize role conflict and role strain?

11. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Image Bank

12. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Role Exit The process by which people disengage from important social roles –The process of becoming an “ex” –Process begins as people come to doubt their ability to continue in a certain role –What are some challenges associated with the process of role exiting? –Further, how may a past role influence our lives?

13. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis The Social Construction of Reality “Inevitably we construct ourselves. Let me explain. I enter this house and immediately I become what I have to become, what I can become: I construct myself. That is, I present myself to you in a form suitable to the relationship I wish to achieve with you. And, of course, you do the same with me.” (Pirandello, L. (1917). The Pleasure of Honesty. 1962: 157-58)

14. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis The Social Construction of Reality Social Construction of Reality –The process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction –“Reality” remains unclear in everyone’s minds  Especially in unfamiliar situations –The text suggests that “Reality is not as fixed as we may think.” What does this mean?

15. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis The Social Construction of Reality Social Construction of Reality (continued) –Social interaction is a complex negotiation that builds reality –Can you give an example of how you have creatively shaped reality?

16. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis The Thomas Theorem Situations that are defined as real are real in their consequences –Though reality is “soft” as it is being shaped, it can become “hard” in its effects

17. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Ethnomethodology The study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings –Approach points out that everyday behavior rests on a number of assumptions –Are there rules for everyday interaction?

18. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Ethnomethodology The study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings (continued) –To investigate assumptions made about everyday reality, when someone asks you “how are you doing?” respond by telling that person how you are actually doing.  What do you believe the other person’s response will be?

19. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Building: Class and Culture How we act or what we see in our surroundings depends on our interests Reality construction varies even more in a global perspective Can you give an example of how people build reality from the surrounding culture? Films have an effect on the reality we all experience

20. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis DRAMATURGICAL ANALYSIS: THE PRESENTATION OF SELF Dramaturgical analysis –The study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance Erving Goffman (1922-1982) –Analyzed social interaction –Explained how people live their lives like actors performing on a stage –In this classroom who is/are the actor(s)? What about the audience?

21. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis DRAMATURGICAL ANALYSIS: THE PRESENTATION OF SELF Presentation of Self –A person’s efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others –Also called “impression management” –Begins with the idea of personal performance

22. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis DRAMATURGICAL ANALYSIS: THE PRESENTATION OF SELF What are the distinctive elements of impression management? In other words, what does an individual’s performance include. How do people on a first date present themselves to each other, and in the process, construct reality? What kind of information does each offer? Is there a goal that is trying to be achieved?

23. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Nonverbal Communication Communication using body movements, gestures, and facial expressions rather than speech Body language –Using parts of the body to convey information to others –Eye contact is another crucial element –Gestures add meaning to spoken words

24. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Nonverbal Communication Body Language and deception –How can unintended body language contradict our planned meaning in everyday performances? Give an example. –How can you detect deceit? In other words, what should one look for in a performance? –Key to detecting lies is to view the whole performance with an eye for inconsistencies

25. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Gender and Performance How is gender related to personal performance? Women are more sensitive to nonverbal communication than men Demeanor –The way we act and carry ourselves  Clue to social power –Because women generally occupy positions of less power, demeanor is also a gender issue

26. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Gender and Performance How does power play a role in determining how much space a personal performance requires? Who typically commands more space, men or women? Why?

27. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Gender and Performance Use of space –Personal space  The surrounding area over which a person makes some claim to privacy  Men, because of their greater social power, often intrude into women’s personal space  Woman moving into a man’s personal space can be taken as a sign of sexual interest How does culture influence performance space?

28. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Gender and Performance Which gender stares, smiles, and touches more often, men or women? Staring, smiling, and touching –Women hold eye contact more than men in social conversations –Men stare  Claiming social dominance and defining women as sexual objects

29. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Gender and Performance Staring, smiling, and touching (continued) –Smiling can be a sign of trying to please or of submission  In a male-dominated world, women smile more than men –Mutual touching suggests intimacy and caring –Touching is generally something men do to women  But rarely in our culture to other men

30. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Gender and Performance Watch female-male couples holding hands. Which person has the hand to the front and which has the hand to the rear? Can you see a pattern and offer an explanation?

31. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Idealization We construct performances to idealize our intentions –We try to convince others (and perhaps ourselves) that our actions reflect ideal cultural standards rather than selfish motives Rarely do people admit the more common less-honorable motives Can you think of any examples of how you have used idealization in your own life?

32. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Embarrassment and Tact Embarrassment –Discomfort after a spoiled performance –“Losing face” Embarrassment is an ever-present danger because idealized performances typically contain some deception –One thoughtless moment can shatter the intended impression

33. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Embarrassment and Tact Curiously, an audience often overlooks flaws in performance, allowing the actor to avoid embarrassment

34. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Embarrassment and Tact Tact –Helping someone “save face” –Members of an audience actually help the performer recover from a flawed performance –“Tact is the ability to describe others the way they see themselves.” Abraham Lincoln –Your instructor comes to class and you notice that their fly is open. How may you (or others) respond to this embarrassing moment? –Why is tact so common?

35. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Embarrassment and Tact What does the following statement indicate about our behavior? In other words, is our behavior as spontaneous as we may like to think?

36. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Embarrassment and Tact “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts” (William Shakespeare. As You Like It. Act 2, Scene 7)

37. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis INTERACTIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE: THREE APPLICATIONS Three important dimensions of everyday life –Emotions –Language –Humor

38. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Emotions: The Social Construction of Feeling Emotions are more commonly called “feelings” –What we do matters less than how we feel about it –Emotions seem very personal because they are “inside” –Can you think of examples of how society guides our emotional life?

39. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Emotions: The Social Construction of Feeling The Biological Side of Emotions –People everywhere express six basic emotions  Happiness  Sadness  Anger  Fear  Disgust  Surprise

40. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Emotions: The Social Construction of Feeling Emotions are powerful forces that allow us to overcome individualism and build connections with others

41. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Emotions: The Social Construction of Feeling The Cultural Side of Emotions –Culture defines what triggers an emotion –Culture provides rules for the display of emotions –Culture guides how we value emotions

42. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Emotions: The Social Construction of Feeling The Cultural Side of Emotions (continued) –Traditionally, at least, many cultures expect women to show emotions while condemning emotional expression by men as a sign of weakness –This pattern is less pronounced or reversed in some cultures

43. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Emotions: The Social Construction of Feeling Emotions on the job –In the U.S., most people are freer to express their feelings at home than on the job –The typical company tries to control not only behavior but also the emotions of its employees –Emotion management  The social construction of emotions as part of everyday reality

44. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Language: The Social Construction of Gender Language conveys not only a surface message but also deeper levels of meaning –An important level is gender –Language defines men and women differently in terms of power and value

45. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Language: The Social Construction of Gender Do men refer to their vehicles as males or females? In other word, why do men use the pronoun “she” rather than “he” to refer to prized possessions?

46. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Language: The Social Construction of Gender Language and Power –Language helps men establish control over their surroundings –A man attaches a female pronoun to an object because doing so reflects ownership –This is also why a woman who marries traditionally takes the last name of her husband –Because many modern American women value independence, they keep their own name or combine two family names

47. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Language: The Social Construction of Gender Language and Value –Typically, the English language treats as masculine whatever has greater value, force, or significance –Adjective “virtuous” means “morally worthy”, from the Latin “vir” meaning “man” –Adjective “hysterical” means “uncontrollable emotion” from the Greek “hyster” meaning “uterus”

48. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Language: The Social Construction of Gender Language and Value (continued) –Language also confers a different value on the two sexes –Use of suffixes “-ess” and “-ette” to indicate femininity usually devalue the words to which they are added –Language both mirrors social attitudes and helps perpetuate them

49. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Language: The Social Construction of Gender Language and Value (continued) –Given the importance of gender to social interaction in everyday life, it is no surprise that women and men sometimes have trouble communicating

50. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Language: The Social Construction of Gender How many words can you think of to describe a very sexually active female? Are they positive or negative in meaning? Repeat the same exercise for a male. What differences do you notice?

51. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Humor plays an important part in everyday life By using humor, we “play with reality”

52. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor The Foundation of humor –Humor is produced by the social construction of reality  It arises as people create and contrast two different realities –One reality is conventional  What people in a specific situation expect

53. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor The Foundation of humor (continued) –The other reality is unconventional  An unexpected violation of cultural patterns –Humor arises from the contradictions, ambiguities, and double meanings found in differing definitions of the same situation

54. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Contrasting realities emerge from: –Statements that contradict themselves –Statements that repeat themselves –Statements that mix up words –Statements that switch around syllables The greater the opposition or difference between the two definitions of reality, the greater the humor

55. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor A joke is well-told if the comic times the lines to create the sharpest possible opposition between the realities Because the key to humor lies in the collision of realities, the climax of a joke is termed the “punch line”

56. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor The dynamics of humor: “Getting It” –To “get” humor, members of an audience must understand the two realities involved well enough to appreciate the difference –Enjoyment of a joke is increased by the pleasure of figuring out all the pieces needed to “get it”

57. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor The dynamics of humor: “Getting It” (continued) –The joke makes you an insider compared to those who don’t “get it” –Jokes that must be explained aren’t very funny

58. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor The Topics of Humor –Humor is a universal element of human culture –Because of different cultures, humor rarely travels well –The diversity of America means people will find humor in different situations

59. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor The Topics of Humor (continued) –To everyone, topics that lend themselves to double meanings or controversy generate humor –Jokes can break through cultural barriers but they must touch on universal human experiences

60. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Controversy of humor is a fine line between what is funny and what is “sick” Middle Ages – “humors” from the Latin “humidus” meaning “moist” –A balance of bodily fluids that regulated health Researchers today document the power of humor to reduce stress and improve health –“Laughter is the best medicine”

61. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor At the extreme, people who always take conventional reality lightly risk being defined as deviant or mentally ill Every social group considers certain topics too sensitive for humorous treatment –People’s religious beliefs, tragic accidents, or appalling crimes are some of the subjects of “sick” jokes or no jokes at all

62. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Here is a joke about sociologists: How many sociologists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; it’s the system that needs to be changed! What makes this joke funny? What sort of people are likely to get it? What kind of people probably won’t? Why?

63. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor The Functions of Humor –Humor is found everywhere because it works as a safety valve for potentially disruptive sentiments –Humor provides an acceptable way to discuss a sensitive topic without appearing to be serious or offensive –People use humor to relieve tension in uncomfortable situations

64. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Why is it risky to joke with people who have more power than you do? What about joking with people who have less power?

65. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Humor and Conflict –Humor can also be used to put down others  Men who tell jokes about women, for example, typically are voicing hostility towards them  Similarly, jokes about gay people reveal tensions about sexual orientation

66. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Humor and Conflict (continued) –Real conflict can be masked by humor when people choose not to bring the conflict out into the open –“Put-down” jokes make one category of people feel good at the expense of another

67. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Conflict is a driving force behind humor in most of the world The typical ethnic joke makes fun of some disadvantaged category of people, making the joke-teller feel superior

68. Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Society: the basics, Eleventh Edition John J. Macionis Reality Play: The Social Construction of Humor Humor is more important than we think –It is a means of mental escape from a conventional world that is not entirely to our liking –Many of our nation’s comedians come from the ranks of the historically marginalized –Maintaining a sense of humor asserts our freedom, and we are never a prisoner of reality